Why are some food delivery riders using their own money to refund customers for spilt items?

SINGAPORE: What would you do if your food delivery order arrives with some items spilt? Would you still report it if the delivery rider offers you a refund on the spot?

While spilt orders can be reported to the respective platforms' customer service, some riders from Singapore's three main online food delivery companies told CNA that they have chosen to refund customers using their own money, and know of others who do the same.

That’s despite Grab, foodpanda, and Deliveroo saying they usually bear the refund charges granted to customers. Grab even said that merchants will be charged for orders that are refunded to customers if it is found that their items do not meet the standards laid out in the guidelines.

So why are some food delivery riders still refunding customers out of their own pockets? CNA finds out.

SENSE OF DUTY, AVOIDING DELAYS

One delivery rider who works with Grab, foodpanda, and Deliveroo said that he has refunded customers for spilt food orders, and does it around "three times" a year.

The 37-year-old man, who gave his last name as Su, told CNA he personally knows of three to four others who do the same.

Mr Su said he chooses to refund the customer from his own pocket as he believes it is "professional", adding that he empathises with customers who encounter spilt food issues because he also orders food delivery.

"I understand how it feels when you receive the food (and) there’s spillage and (the) rider just keeps quiet about it," he said. 

"After all, customers pay for the service."

Another rider, who gave his first name as Edwin, told CNA he refunds customers from his own pocket "out of goodwill". 

Customers may face issues trying to get refunds, said the foodpanda and Grab delivery rider.

"Sometimes they refund them, sometimes they don’t," he added, referring to a particular platform’s customer service.

"It takes two hands to clap," said Edwin, who noted that riders are partly to be blamed when food spills.

Compared to when he started four years ago, he said that his experience has helped him recognise items that have a higher chance of spilling and how to secure them.

The rider said he only deals with food spills about once every six months now.

Riders whom CNA spoke to expressed shared sentiments that the responsibility for a smooth, spill-free delivery squarely falls on the rider's shoulders.

Mr Teo, a delivery rider with foodpanda since 2019, echoed this perspective. 

He emphasised that it is the rider’s responsibility to "take good care of the food" even though the spill could be caused by the merchant’s poor packaging and the need for speed when handling orders.

"They are the ones who packed it ... but when we take our order, it's actually our duty to double-check the order," the 28-year-old said.

The food delivery rider said he refunds customers for minor spills because he believes it could be a hassle to deal with "any trouble that could delay (the) current orders".

"We want it to be very fast-paced, we drop off, proceed to the next order, this is how we really earn," he explained.

Mr Teo also recalled the platform telling him "to try to proceed" in the event of spilt orders.

Another rider, who gave his name as Anis, told CNA that he had contacted foodpanda's rider support over major spills and claimed he was told to "try to convince the customer to take the food".

PENALTIES

Mr Su told CNA he prefers to refund his customers instead of raising the issue with the platforms’ customer service "to ensure there is no aftermath to tidy up". 

He said that this approach has helped him avoid potential deductions from his earnings, stern warnings, and potential account suspension.

Mr Su also claimed that if riders do not cover the cost, the resulting complaint could lead to deductions from their platform wallets anyway.

"If (the spill) is really bad then platform will refund (the customer) money, and this will be deducted from (the rider’s) wallet," he said.

The platform will offer the customers vouchers and give the rider a warning "if it’s not so bad", he added.

"Normally as a rider, (the) platform won’t check with us. Anything happens, we will get penalised first. If we are wrongly accused then we need to submit ticket or go (to) their hub to dispute."

"Customers upset, platform suddenly suspend us then affect (our) rice bowl," he added. 

Mr Su also highlighted instances where a delivery platform could deduct the cost of the entire order from the rider even though only the drinks spilt.

There is also a limit on the number of warnings one can receive in a week, including those related to food spills, Mr Teo told CNA.

When the company refunds a customer for food spills, it would give the rider a "compliance warning" via the app, he added.

"We cannot exceed about more than three times per week … We can get suspended (for being) reported too much," he claimed. He added that each suspension will last for about two days.

"And if you keep (getting warnings and suspensions) … I think there will be a permanent ban." 

Food delivery rider Anis also said that if the rider did not inform the company about spilt orders, he or she "will be given a warning about suspension".

On handling complaints regarding food spills, Grab said in response to CNA’s queries that it "closely monitors delivery service quality and sends delivery-partners reminders to handle food items with care when there are complaints about spillages".

"In such instances, Grab takes responsibility and bears the refund charges granted to consumers."

Southeast Asia's biggest ride-hailing and food delivery firm said the "delivery-partners are only penalised if they have been consistently negligent in handling orders and have had multiple similar complaints raised against them".

For refunds, Grab said it will first process the refund for the consumer if the complaint is deemed to be valid. The company will then proceed to determine which party the refund should be attributed to.

In case of a disagreement, Grab said it provides its merchants and delivery riders with appeal channels.

Delivery riders are not required to bear the cost of food spills or have any fees deducted when customers request a refund, foodpanda said in response to CNA's query.

There are also no penalties imposed on delivery riders should customers request refunds due to food spillage, it added.

The company told CNA that it expects its delivery riders to "conduct themselves professionally, and to also adhere to good food handling practices".

"In the event that the actions of delivery partners are not in line with these policies, or in any instances of suspected fraudulent behaviour, we will thoroughly investigate each case and take appropriate action. This includes issuing of warnings, or even suspensions." 

Deliveroo, in its reply to CNA, said its riders need not compensate for deliveries in the event of food spillage, adding that it will not "seek to recover the value of such items from them".

"For such incidents, our riders are advised to contact the Rider Support team which will inform them what to do with the order and organise a redelivery for the customer if necessary, with Deliveroo compensating the customer for the order based on the particular circumstance."

RATINGS

Another concern with having food spillage reported to the platform is that it may affect the rider's rating.

A Grab delivery rider, who gave his name as Xiong, told CNA food spills could cause a rider's rating to drop.

Even if the restaurant is at fault for improper food packaging, riders still suffer a decline in their rating, he said. "We have to double-check our food … riders got more responsibility."

With a lower rating, a rider's pay and incentives may be affected, he added.

Ratings also affect the number of jobs a delivery rider gets, according to some delivery riders CNA spoke to.

Delivery rider Anis said that a better rating allows the rider to get more orders.

The chances of getting delivery jobs are much higher for people with a higher rating, according to Edwin, who delivers food for foodpanda and Grab.

But he said that food spills do not necessarily impact one's rating.

"Grab protects us … if a customer for no reason gives zero or one star, they will block out that rating," he said.

"The orders we send, we all have photo proof … from the photo they can see whether it's spilt or not."

Grab told CNA that it carefully evaluates every claim by customers, merchants or riders to first determine if it is valid.

"We do this by checking the consumer's refund history, as well as the merchant- and delivery-partner's history, along with verifying the completeness of evidence provided, such as photos depending on the nature of the complaint."

In response to further queries about the effect of ratings on its delivery riders, Grab said that its delivery riders are required to maintain a minimum rating of 4.5. The maximum rating on the scale is 5.

"Those who do not meet the minimum requirement will be given time to improve their ratings before being penalised."

"Those who maintain the minimum rating and meet the trip requirements will enjoy benefits such as priority support offered under our Grab Emerald Circle programme," the company added.

According to Grab, a rider's rating is "calculated based on an aggregate of consumers' ratings to ensure that it accurately reflects their overall performance". 

Meanwhile, foodpanda said in response to queries by CNA that its customers can provide feedback and rate their delivery riders after their delivery has been completed, but its delivery riders' earnings "are not affected by these ratings".

"These ratings are for internal tracking purposes and are used to improve the overall customer experience on our platform. The ratings have no impact on our delivery partners' compensations," foodpanda added.

For Deliveroo, there is no customer rating system for its riders, the company told CNA.

UNPLEASANT, DISHONEST CUSTOMERS

Offering to pay for food spills out of their own pockets helps to reduce the risk of the customer being "violent", according to delivery rider Mr Su.

When customers lodge complaints with the platform, the way they capture photographic "evidence" of the food spill and their communication with the support team can affect how the platform deals with the rider, he added.

"You never know what kind of customers you meet. Some are nice, some will scold."

However, Mr Su said that most of the time, when he apologises and offers to cover the cost or repurchase the food, customers are satisfied as long as the food is still edible.

Some customers also falsely claim that their food was not received or in poor condition, in an attempt to get free meals, according to Edwin.

In response to CNA's queries, Grab said that it proactively investigates repeated refund requests to determine whether a claim is valid, adding that its system tracks refund requests from all parties, including customers. 

Both foodpanda and Deliveroo also have processes and tools in place to identify any unusual or suspicious refund requests.

"As there are multiple factors which can contribute to incidents such as food spillage, each case is investigated thoroughly to ensure that fair and appropriate action is taken to resolve the issue," foodpanda said.

Deliveroo also said it "has fraud monitoring tools in place that support in identifying any potential abuse of our operational system for customer refunds, and we will take appropriate action depending on the circumstances".